What Makes a Window ENERGY STAR® Certified? An Overview for Fort Worth Area Residents

While researching the window replacement options for your home in or near Fort Worth, you may have come across the term ENERGY STAR®. This is a government-backed certification for energy efficiency that can be found not just on energy-saving windows but a plethora of both consumer and commercial products – from home appliances and electronics to office equipment and HVAC equipment.

Just what does it mean, specifically, for a window to be ENERGY STAR® certified? It essentially boils down to a window’s ability to either meet or exceed minimum federal requirements for energy efficiency. The five performance criteria are as follows:

U-FACTOR

Also called the U-value or thermal transmittance, the U-Factor of a window is a measure of how well it insulates. The lower the U-Factor, the better.

SOLAR HEAT GAIN COEFFICIENT

SHGC is simply a measure of how well a window blocks heat caused by sunlight. Similar to the U-Factor, the lower the SHGC, the better.

VISIBLE TRANSMITTANCE

We all know that windows let in light. That is, after all, one of their primary purposes. Visible transmittance, or VT, is a measure of how much light a window lets through.

CONDENSATION RESISTANCE

This is a metric of how moisture-resistant a window is. The higher the CR factor, the less moisture buildup a window allows.

AIR LEAKAGE

AL measures the rate at which air infiltrates through a window’s joints. The lower the AL value, the less air leakage there is.

For more information, contact Gulf Coast Windows – the ENERGY STAR® certified window installer of choice for countless homeowners in the Fort Worth area. We also install doors, siding, and more.